Hittin' The Road
by Thepopcornpup
Summary: "'So, I'se got a car, I'se got a break, and I'se got friends to drag along with me! So, whaddya say, Davey? How about a cross-country road trip with the Cowboy himself, huh'" The Newsies pile up in a mini-van and take a road trip to Santa Fe. Disaster, of course, ensues. (Modern AU, if the summary didn't make it clear.)
1. Hittin' The Road

**Author's Note: How do! Prepare for an extremely long Author's Note!**

 **So, a while ago, I told myself I wouldn't start any multi-chapter fics again because I can never stick with them. But, then, this happened:**

 _ **Brain: Hey, Pop, you should write a multi-chapter Newsies road-trip fic.**_

 _ **Me: Why?**_

 ** _Brain: You gotta_.**

 **So, this exists. Plus, summer is coming, and I don't have high hopes for June to be too entertaining, so this will give me something to do, Besides, it's going to be more of a collection of linear one-shots than a coherent story, so there's that. But, in order to write this story, I need some help. You see, I've only been to Texas, California, and I very briefly visited New York and Boston when I was four, so I don't know much about what you'd do on a cross-country road trip. Not only that, but I only have two chapter ideas so far. So, what I need from you are prompts! Give me random stuff for the Newsies to do on their road trip! Places to go, situations they find themselves in, etc. Anything that comes to mind, please tell me!**

 **Also, I'll still write my usual one-shots while I'm writing this story, so you'll still get plenty of canon-era stories from me! (Ostritch On A Rampage, if you're reading this, I'm working on those Refuge feels I promised you about a month ago! Sorry it's taken so long, but I think it's finally ready to be less of a brain storm and an actual story!)**

 **Now, is that all? I believe so! Thank you for reading! (And for sitting through that Author's Note, sheesh!) Reviews make me happy! I hope you enjoy it!**

 **P.S. Kid Blink and Sarah are in this because why the heck not?**

* * *

All Davey Jacobs wanted was to finish the last chapter in his book. He'd been trying all day to complete that last chapter in the last book in the series, but it seemed that the universe would allow him. And by the universe, he meant Les. But, Les had finally distracted himself with some video game, which meant Davey now had what may be his only opportunity for the rest of the day to read. So, he settled down on the couch and opened his book, ready to be immersed in a fictional world when-

 _Rrrring! Rrrrrring!_

Davey's head snapped up,a look of pure annoyance crossing his face. He glanced at his phone which sat beside him on the couch, with a caller ID that read, of course, "Jack Kelly." Davey sighed and, with the click of a button, sent the call to voice mail. With that, he turned back to his book, a contented smile making its way onto his face.

 _Rrrrrring! Rrrrrring!_

Jack called again.

Davey sent it to voice mail again.

 _Rrrrring! Rrrrrrrring!_

Okay, a third time. Now, Davey was worried. Knowing Jack, the kind of trouble he may have found himself in was unpredictable. In fact, Davey felt lucky that he hadn't had to bail his reckless friend out of jail yet. Hopefully, this call wouldn't be the first. With one more longing glace at his book, Davey sighed and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"It's Jack," Said the voice on the other end hurriedly.

"What'd he do now?" Davey asked with yet another sigh.

"No, it's actually me," Jack replied, slightly offended.

"Okay, what did you do?" Davey questioned. "Is this 'Kloppman's gonna yell at you' trouble or 'change your name to Francis and skip town' trouble?"

"Why do ya have to assume that every time I call ya I'm in trouble?" Jack chuckled.

"Because the last time you called me three times in a row, I had to explain to mall security that Spot wasn't actually going to kill anyone despite the threats and questionable items you guys were purchasing." Davey deadpanned.

"Well, how was they supposed to know what we was usin' rope and fireworks for?" Jack shot back with a grin. He could practically feel Davey glaring at him through the phone, so he continued, "Anyway, Dave, can you just meet me at my place with Les and suitcases with enough stuff to last ya, say, a week? Oh, and Sarah, if she wants to come?"

"Oh no," Davey blanched. "This _is_ 'skip town and change your name to Francis' trouble, isn't it?"

"Pfft, no!" Jack scoffed. "Geez, Dave, if ya must know, I finally got my driver's license!"

"Only took you a year," Davey muttered.

Jack ignored his friend's comment and continued, "And, since I finally got the freedom to go wherever I want, I asked myself, 'Jack, where's someplace you'se always wanted to go?"

As if on cue, both boys answered, "Santa Fe."

Jack laughed. "Ah-ha, that's right, Dave! And, ya know what? It's summer vacation! So, I'se got a car, I'se got a break, and I'se got friends to drag along with me! So, whaddya say, Davey? How about a cross-country road trip with the Cowboy himself, huh?"

Davey couldn't supress a grin. "I have to say, that's a good idea. But, don't you have to have an adult to supervise us in the hotels or something?"

"Race turned 18 last week," Jack offered.

"So, we're trusting Race as our guardian?" Davey questioned.

"Look, ya wanna come or not?" Jack asked, impatient.

"Well, I mean, I have to ask my paren-" Davey began.

Jack cut him off. "Well, meet me at my place in two hours if it's a yes."

Before he could say anything else, Jack hung up on Davey. Davey glanced at his book and sighed.

* * *

Two hours later, all three Jacobs siblings were dropped off at the group home run by Kloppman with hugs and kisses goodbye from their parents. As their mom and dad drove away, Davey, Les and Sarah walked up to the home, dragging their suitcases behind them, until all three pairs of eyes fell upon a beat-up mini-van parked on the curb, just about stuffed with teenage boys. Davey squinted, and, sure enough, Jack sat in the front seat, mingling with Crutchie in the seat beside him, and stuffed in random places in the back were Katherine, who looked as if she were questioning her descision to come along, Race, Romeo and Spot, who were all shouting about something, and Blink, Mush, Specs and Smalls, who all waved at the Jacobs eagerly.

Davey blinked. "Sarah, what have gotten ourselves into?"

Sarah glanced at her brother. "Who knows?"


	2. Greetings From The Rest Stop

**Author's Note: Hello, hello, hello! I want to begin this chapter by formally thanking Anjion and Ostritch On A Rampage for their support and wonderful ideas! Seriously, you guys rock!**

 **This chapter is based on true events from the Newsies tour. That's all I'm going to say.**

 **That's all I've got to say! Thank you for reading, and if you like it, reviews are highly appreciated! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

After a goodbye and a "don't do anything stupid!" from Kloppman, the boys (and three girls) began on their way, letting the skyscrapers of Manhattan fade as they made their way out of New York.

"So, Jack," Davey asked after most of the city had disappeared behind them. "Do you have any idea where we're going?"

"Nope!" Jack answered cheerily. "But, Crutchie's on map duty."

Crutchie looked up from his phone and said, "Okay, according to Google, there's three different routes. Two of 'em take 31 hours, but one of 'em takes 30 hours."

"Take the shorter one," Jack replied. "I wanna get to Santa Fe as fast as possible."

"Plus, it's one less hour I'm stuck in a van with you idiots," Spot added.

Race put a hand over his heart, feigning gratitude. "Spot, I'm touched."

"Okay, but you should know that if we take one of the longer ones, we pass through two more states."

"Which states?" Specs asked.

"Texas and Oklahoma. But, the shorter one goes through Kansas." Crutchie answered.

"Wait, but they got tornadoes in Kansas." Blink pointed out.

"Blink, it ain't tornado season." Spot scoffed.

"There could be a freak tornado."

"Shut up. What do you have against Kansas?"

"What do you have against Blink?" Mush chimed in.

"The same thing Blink has against Kansas." Spot replied, disgruntled.

"What's so great about Kansas, anyway?" Blink questioned.

"What's so great about Blink?"

"Oh, I'll soak-"

"HEY!" Jack whipped around in his seat to face Kid Blink, who was ready to punch Spot.

Crutchie put his hand on Jack's shoulder and said, "Eyes on the road, Jack."

Jack turned back around and sighed,"Can we get through ten minutes in the car without trying to soak each other?!"

"Not when Blink's bein' an idiot." Spot grumbled.

"You started it," Blink shot back.

"What are you, five?" Spot questioned.

"Probably," Blink shrugged.

Jack ignored him and said,"Whatever. Back to the route, which way should we go?"

"Let's go through Kansas to annoy Blink," Spot smirked.

"Let it go!" Jack exclaimed. "And, Romeo, don't you dare start singin' Frozen."

Romeo's face fell. "Well, we _should_ play some music."

"Good call," Jack said. "What kind?"

The car erupted in random requests of various genres, artists and songs, ranging from classic rock to High School Musical.

"Why don't we just play whatever Jack has on his phone?" Davey suggested, shouting above the musical chaos.

Jack's hand whirled on top of his phone, which sat on the center console.

"Woah, what's Cowboy got to hide on his phone?" Race chuckled.

"Nothin'," Jack answered too quickly. "I just...don't have any music on my phone."

"Pfft, sure!" Race scoffed. "No, no, no, there's somethin' you don't want us to see!"

"He just doesn't want you to see the haikus he writes about Santa Fe in his notes," Crutchie teased.

Jack neither confirmed nor denied the existence of these haikus, and instead replied, "Seriously, I just don't buy music."

Race ignored both of them and snatched the phone off of the center console, causing Jack to let out a small noise of horror. "Geez, Jack," Race laughed. "What's got you so-"

"You don't know my passcode, anyway!" Jack blurted nervously.

"Okay, now I'm interested," Katherine grinned. "I thought I knew all your secrets."

"Ooh, like what?" Spot asked. "I need blackmail material."

"Guessed it," Race announced as the iPhone clicked with the unlocking sound. "1-8-9-9!"

Jack turned around again, "Wait, no-"

With a few clicks and swipes, Race found the music library of Jack's phone and began blaring the twangiest country song that anyone in the car had ever heard.

Jack faced the road again, glaring. After a moment of near-silence, which had been littered with muffled giggles, Jack spoke up. "Yes, I listen to country. And not just Carrie Underwood or anything. I listen to country. You got a problem with that?"

Spot just grinned. "Never mind, Katherine. I found my blackmail material."

"Look, there ain't nothin' wrong with my taste in music!" Jack exclaimed, blushing furiously. "It's just...different!"

"Okay, okay, which route should I take?" Crutchie asked, changing the subject much to Jack's relief.

"I think we should take the longer route," Mush said. "After all, you know what they say; it's about the journey, not the destination!"

"Unless your destination's Santa Frickin' Fe!" Jack responded, practically bouncing in his seat. "That's just a load of crap tourist stops make up to get you to stop at their shops. I just wanna get to Santa Fe!"

"But, what's a road trip without a few stops?" Katherine asked. "I mean, this is most of our first times out of New York, right? We might as well see all we can see." Before Jack could offer another argument, she added, "Plus, you're the guy who's always talking about the other things the world has to offer. Adventure and all that..."

Jack grinned at Katherine. "Ah, I can't say no to you, Ace." He chuckled. "Let's take the longer route."

"Oy, get a room!" Race groaned. "Are we gonna have to put up with your lovey-dovey banter the whole time?"

"Shut up," Jack said, shooting one more grin at Katherine, before turning back around to face the road.

"SLUG BUG!" Smalls exclaimed suddenly, followed by two loud smacking noises and two yelps from Specs and Romeo. "Jaaaaaaack!" Romeo whined. "Smalls punched me!"

"Oh, you're killin' me, Smalls!" Jack smirked.

"Ha-ha, ain't heard that one before," Smalls rolled her eyes. "Guys, I am the ultimate slug bug champion. You suckers are goin' down!"

"It's on!" Romeo grinned, balling his fists.

"Daveeeeeeeey," Les moaned, leaning on his brother's shoulder. "I'm hungryyyyyyyyy."

"Well, that's pretty poor timing," Davey said. "We just left the city, where we could have stopped for lunch at Jacobi's or something. You really should have thought of that earlier. Besides, how can I help? If anyone, you should ask Jack, because he's driv-"

"Saraaaaaaahhhhh," Les turned to his sister. "Davey's using logic on me!"

"Oh, shame on you, Davey," Sarah teased. "The poor kid can't put up with your logic in his state of hunger! Besides, I'm hungry, too."

"Well, it looks like there's a rest stop comin' up here," Crutchie noted. "We could pick up some snacks."

"And by snacks, Crutchie means he's going to buy out the stop's supply of Flamin' Hot Cheetos," Jack smirked.

"Hey, leave me and my Cheetos be, and I'll leave you and your country music be," Crutchie grinned.

"Fair trade," Jack replied, turning into the parking lot of the stop. "But, we'll only spend twenty minutes at the rest stop. After that, we'se outta there."

* * *

The group ran into the shop at the rest stop and stopped at a wall lined with a plethora of slushee flavors. "Woah..." Smalls' mouth dropped open.

"I've never seen so many slushees in my whole life..." Les said, in pure awe.

"It's so beautiful," Blink breathed. "I might cry."

"How can I choose just one flavor?" Romeo asked with chuckle.

Race dashed up to the wall and began filling his cup with a bit of every flavor. "Who says you gotta choose?"

* * *

"Woah, Crutchie," Davey peered down the aisle, raising an eyebrow at his friend. "That's a lot of Cheetos."

"Nothin' I can't handle," Crutchie grinned, peeking up at Davey from above his overflowing stack of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. "I ain't takin' all the bags."

"Crutchie, I ain't lettin' you spend thirty dollars in Cheetos," Jack chimed in, walking up behind Crutchie.

"Hey, this stack is only worth twenty-five!" Crutchie countered. "And, with that kinda attitude, I guess I ain't sharin' with you."

* * *

"Everybody, come on!" Jack called after fifteen minutes had passed. "We'se gotta go if we wanna find a good hotel tonight!"

Les sped up to him, his mouth a multi-colored mess, and exclaimed,"JackIjusthadthebestslurpeeeverIthadeveryflavorimtheworldanditwassosweetand-"

"Oh, gosh," Davey groaned. "This is going to be a very long car ride."

* * *

After checking out his six bags of Cheetos, Crutchie glanced at the clock, then at his empty water bottle. "I got time to fill this up," He decided aloud, and hobbled off to the water fountain.

* * *

"Shotgun!" Katherine shouted, sliding into the seat next to Jack. "Sorry, Crutchie!" Settling into the seat, Katherine grinned. "Hmm. I never get shotgun. This is what true power feels like, isn't it?"

"You've got the power, Ace," Jack chuckled. "Now, is everyone settled in?" After a chourus of "yes's", Jack pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

"Okay, I'm ready, fellas!" Crutchie hummed, screwing the cap onto his water bottle. When he was met with no response, he made his way out into one of the aisles. "Fellas?" He scanned the store, which had a sudden lack of customers.

Crutchie put his face in palms. "Oh, great."

* * *

"I'm gonna be sick," Romeo moaned, leaning on Race.

"Ick, not on me!" Race exclaimed, scooting away from Romeo.

"Why did I let you convince me it was a good idea to get a large slurpee with every flavor?" He sighed.

"Hey, don't throw up in my car!" Jack frowned.

"Oh, it's not like it ain't a junk wagon already!" Blink retorted, looking quite green himself.

"My van is a beauty," Jack huffed.

"A beauty you got for $500 from a junkyard," Spot scoffed.

"Okay, okay, it was not a junkyard! Jack said defensively. " I got it off Craigslist!"

"We'll be lucky if this jalopy makes it through the trip," Davey rolled his eyes.

"Well, Crutchie likes it," Jack said smugly. "Ain't that right, Crutchie?"

There was a pause.

"Crutchie?"

"Umm, Jack?" Sarah said, looking around. "I don't think Crutchie's here."

"What? That's ridiculous," Jack chuckled nervously. "Of course he's here! Maybe he just fell asleep!"

"No, Crutchie isn't in here," Specs said.

"No, no, he's here!" Jack insisted. "Watch, someone call him! We'll hear his phone ring right away!"

Katherine picked up Jack's phone and frowned immediately. "Jack, your phone was on silent. You have three missed calls from Crutchie."

"Oh no," Jack groaned. He banged a fist on the dashboard. "Oh, f-"

Davey covered Les' ears. "Jack."

"For the love of Crutchie!" Jack finished, honking the horn slightly.

Spot began slow-clapping. "Way to go, Jacky-boy. We'se barely begun the trip, and you'se already left you best friend at the rest stop."

"Uh, who said this was my fault?" Jack questioned

"Well, you're the driver," Spot said.

"Well, Race is the guardian!" Jack countered. "He's the only legal adult among us, so he should be at fault!"

"No, you're to blame," Race said, looking at his phone. "You're being publicly shamed on all forms of social media."

"What does that mean?" Jack questioned skeptically.

"It means Crutchie posted a selfie on Instagram and tweeted about it, and now everyone's reposting and retweeting with #ShameOnCaptainJack." Race answered, stifling laughter. "I think Buttons' tweet was the best. Want me to read it?"

"No," Jack grumbled. "I still blame you."

"You want me to play the voice mails?" Katherine asked.

Jack nodded weakly and Katherine played them.

 _ **Voice Mail 1:** "Hey Jack, it's Crutchie. Where are ya guys? I was fillin' up my water bottle and now I can't find ya. See ya soon!"_

 _ **Voice Mail 2:** "Jack? Crutchie here. I really can't find you'se. I'm wanderin' the parking lot right now and getting some strange looks. I can't spot your va- what?...Oh no, sir, I was just tryin' to find my friends...A group of mostly teenage boys? ...With three girls and one kid?... Yeah, that's them...Oh, they left?...Really?...Thanks, sir...Wow. Thanks Jack."_

 _ **Voice Mail 3:** "Dear Jack, greetings from the rest stop. How are you? I'm okay. I mean, besides the fact that you left me here and I've called you three times now. I'se been here for fifteen minutes now. Oh, yeah, Jack, this is Crutchie, by the way! These here workers is bein' rude, since they want me to get outta the store since I ain't buyin' anything else. But, the food ain't bad. I got my Cheetos. Anyway, I'll be fine. Good as new. But, there's one thing I need ya to do; pick me up. The end. Your friend. Your best friend. Your brother, Crutchie."_


	3. Jack Should Be A Better Vacation Planner

**Author's Note: Well, hello there! I'm sorry this took so llong! I really struggled to write this chapter (hello writer's block, my old friend!). But, I'm here, with 2,485 words of modern newsboys being dorks on a road trip!**

 **Before I say anything else, I want to thank all of you for your lovely reviews and prompts! The support is overwhelming and I love it! Thank you so much!**

 **So,fair warning, if bugs make you squeamish, especially cockroaches, I'd suggest skipping this chapter. Trust me, I am _not_ like Crutchie in this situation.**

 **That's about it! Keep up the amazing reviews, and thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

After a half hour of traffic, loud complaining from Spot, and many instances in which Katherine had to remind Jack to go the speed limit, they eventually arrived back at the rest stop. Jack rushed inside, the rest in tow, and ran up to the counter.

"Can ya tell me where there's a boy, 'bout..." Jack held his hand out at around Crutchie's height. "Yay high, walks with a crutch, is wearin' a backwards knit cap even though it's summer because that's just how he rolls?"

The man sighed and pulled out a speaker from behind his desk. Over the speaker, he boredly announced, "Andy Morris, your..." He looked the strange crowd in front of him up and down. "...people are here for you."

Crutchie came hobbling over from a bench in the back of the store. "Took ya long enough! Geez, I had enough time to make small talk with at least three of these workers 'til ya came!"

"Agh, I'm so sorry, Crutch!" Jack groaned, pulling Crutchie into a one armed hug. "I gotta make it up to ya. How? I'll buy ya all the Flamin' Hot Cheetos ya want, I swear!"

Crutchie grinned. "Well, I can't turn that offer down."

* * *

"So, where are we gonna stay tonight?" Davey asked once they were back on the road. The sky was turning pink, and the air had hit the point where it was what's only considered cool in the summer, which told them night would be falling soon.

Jack shrugged. "I figured we'd just stay at whatever hotel was nearby."

Davey narrowed his eyes. "Wait...so, you didn't book a hotel?'

Jack shook his head.

Davey sighed. "Well, Jack! With a crowd as big as ours, they won't let us just waltz in somewhere! We needed to make reservations for a few rooms. Like, at least four."

"Well, who says we can't just get four rooms right away?" Jack asked.

"Who's going to have four empty rooms just ready and waiting for us at the start of summer vacation?" Davey questioned. "All the hotels will be booked!"

"Will not!" Jack shot back childishly.

"There's a Hilton coming up right now," Romeo pointed out. "Why don't we check there?"

"I'm sure they'll be booked," Davey said doubtfully.

"Well, I can't hurt us to check," Crutchie chimed in with his usual air of optimism.

"Yeah, listen ta Crutchie!" Jack smiled smugly, and stuck his tounge out at Davey.

Davey rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're just trying to earn brownie points from Crutchie after leaving him."

Jack frowned and shushed Davey.

* * *

The young clerk at the front desk of the Hilton had a bewildered yet exhausted look cross her face as the crowd of teenagers walked in. "Reservations?" She asked.

Davey shot Jack an "I-told-you-so" look and said, "No."

The clerk bit her lip. "Well, I'm afraid-"

"Davey!" An excited Les tugged on his brother's shirt and pointed at an empty luggage carriage. "Can I ride one of those? Please?!"

"No, that's dangerous," Davey replied.

"But, they did it on 'The Suite Life Of Zach and Cody!'" Les argued.

"Zach and Cody aren't the best role models," Davey sighed. "Besides, that show's before your time." He turned back to the clerk. "You were saying?"

"I'm afraid we can't get enough rooms for the whole lot of you," She said apologetically. "And, I don't believe you could all fit in one or two."

"Gee, I sure wish our trip planner had thought of that," Davey smirked sarcastically, glancing at Jack.

"Hey, Race is the guardian!" Jack exclaimed. "He shoulda thought of it!"

"Race is two weeks older than you, Jack," Katherine sighed.

"Whatever, it's his fault," Jack grumbled. He turned to the clerk and said, "Look, Miss, is there anyway you could fit us in?" He faced his friends again and added, "Ya know, I bet if we got a suite, we could fit Smalls, Romeo and Les on the couch, 'cause they're tiny."

The clerk's patience seemed to be wearing thin. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think there's anything we can do for you."

Romeo swaggered up at this point. "Okay, I'm sure ya can't do nothin' for him, but what about for me?" He asked, shooting her his most charming grin.

The clerk raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, but rooms don't magically appear when twelve year olds flirt with me."

Romeo's face fell. "I'm fourteen, thank you very much," He muttered, walking away.

The clerk looked back at Jack, Katherine, Crutchie, Davey and Sarah, who were the only ones who hadn't wandered off by now. "Perhaps, I could contact some other nearby hotels and see if they have any openings."

"That'd be very helpful, thank you," Crutchie said, relieved.

The clerk made a few calls, and the group listened intently as she did. But, each call ended with a "Sorry, they're full."

After what felt like forever, she set down the phone and said, "Good news, there's room for you at a nearby motel. I'll give you the address."

As she wrote down the address on a piece of scrap paper, a loud crash sounded from the hall. The five at the desk exchanged worried looks and rushed towards the hall to find the rest of their group sprawled across the floor with a turned-over luggage carriage sitting next to them.

Davey crossed his arms. "What is this?"

"And why didn't ya invite me?" Jack asked, earning an elbow jab from Katherine.

"Well, I mean, Les wanted ta ride one," Race explained, slightly dazed. "So..."

The clerk walked into the hall, looked at the scene, and sighed. Tossing them the sheet with the hotel's address, she muttered, "If there's any damages, you guys are paying for it."

* * *

By the time they were back on the road, night had fallen, and everyone was more than ready to end the day.

"Specs, get offa me!" Smalls grumbled, pushing a sleeping Specs off her shoulder.

"Huh?" Specs sat up, startled. Rubbing his eyes, he drowsily asked, "What time is it?"

"Time for you to get a watch!" Race laughed, shoving Specs.

Crutchie, whose place in the front seat had been returned by Katherine after the rest stop incident, glanced at the clock on the dashboard and said, "Almost 11:00."

"Agh!" Spot exclaimed, pushing a now-sleeping Romeo off his shoulder. "They're droppin' like flies, Jacky-boy! When are we gettin' the motel?"

Jack looked at a flickering, neon sign ahead of him warily. "Uh, hey, Crutchie, what was that motel called again?"

Crutchie looked at the scrap paper and answered, "The Sleep Inn."

"Ha, get it!" Mush chuckled. "'Cause, it's like 'sleep in" but it's an...inn..."

"We got it, Mush," Blink sighed, patting his friend on the back.

Jack frowned. "Uh, hey, fellas, I think we'se reached our destination."

They looked at the upcoming motel, which didn't look very welcoming, with its cracking, gray paint, and a broken "OPEN" sign that only said "OP."

"I thought we was stayin' in a motel," Spot frowned. "Not a freakin' haunted house."

"Shut up," Jack retorted grouchily. "Look, this is the only place we could get, and, I mean, it don't look that bad, right?"

"You know who says stuff like that?" Spot asked.

Jack sighed. "Who?"

"The first one to die in horror movies."

* * *

After Spot's subtle death threat, they all entered the motel and were shown to their rooms by a very unwelcoming worker. They had Smalls, Sarah and Katherine in one room, with Blink, Mush, and Specs in the next, Race, Spot and Romeo after that, and Jack, Crutchie, Davey, and Les in the last one.

"Well," Jack looked around the room, which had two small bed that looked ready to fall down any second, a moth-eaten couch shoved in a corner, and a bathroom that looked far from sanitary. "I've seen worse, to be honest."

Davey gave him a doubtful look and glanced around the room.

"Ahh, come on," Jack sighed. "It ain't no five star hotel or nothin', but, I mean," He leaped onto one of the beds, which made a loud creaking noise as he landed. "The beds are..."

"Soft?" Crutchie offered.

"Solid," Jack finished, patting the mattress and causing it to groan again. "These beds sure are... _solid!"_

Crutchie sat down on the next bed, making another screech. He looked around and bit his lip, before letting his eyes land on Davey and saying, "I mean, ya could call this cramped, but you could also call it cozy!"

Davey shook his head and grinned. "Oh, it's cozy, then. Real cozy."

"Tomorrow, I promise, we'se gonna stay somewheres real nice," Jack said tiredly, leaning back on the weak-looking bedframe and closing his eyes. "You name the place, we'll stay there. I'll book us in a frickin' mansion if ya wanna."

Davey chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Alright then, Kelly. Can't wait to stay in my mansion, then."

* * *

 ** _BANG! BANG! BANG!_**

 _"JACKY-BOY!"_

Jack sat up jerkily. "Wha? Wha'sa matta wit' ya?" He mumbled groggily.

 _ **BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

Someone was pounding on the door.

 _"MOUTH! CRUTCHIE! MINI-MOUTH! GET OVER HERE!"_

Jack groaned and trudged to the door, followed by Davey and Les, then by Crutchie. He swung open the door to reveal Spot, Race and Romeo standing there. Spot was holding a broom, Race was holding a lamp, and Romeo was holding an alarm clock. "What do you want?" Jack deadpanned.

"There are not one, not two, not even three, but four cockroaches in our bathtub," Spot spat. "And, I blame you."

"Ooh, is this the horror movie you was talkin' about?" Jack chuckled sleepily. "'Spot Vs. The Mutant Cockroaches!' A feature film hittin' a theatre near you!"

"I'd see it," Crutchie chimed in with a grin.

"Shut up," Spot frowned. "We want you ta kill it."

"Aww, is the big bad Spot Conlon scared of a cockroach?" Jack cooed mockingly.

Spot held his broom out towards Jack like a weapon and hissed, "Listen, Jacky-boy, I jus' wanted to get some sleep, not for some immortal bug freaks to invade my personal space, but you had to go and get us stuck in this dumpster, so you is gonna kill them little weasels whether you want to or not."

"If they're in your bathtub, how can they bother you?" Davey questioned, rubbing his eyes.

"They could crawl out!" Romeo bursted. "And crawl into my bed and..." He stopped and shuddered dramatically.

"What's with the stuff, then?" Les asked, motioning to Spot's broom, Race's lamp and Romeo's alarm clock.

"We was tryin' to kill 'em!" Race answered. "But, the stupid things kept poppin' right back up."

"So, what makes you think I can kill 'em?" Jack asked. "You think I got magic powers?"

Spot, Race and Romeo exchange glances before Race siad, "You could use...the power of art."

Jack rolled his eyes and tried to close the door, but Spot grabbed the side of the door and exclaimed, "Oh, no, ya don't! You ain't gettin' out of this!"

Suddenly, Romeo exclaimed, "The crutch!"

Crutchie looked down at his crutch. "What about it?"

"You could use the crutch to smash the roaches!" Romeo grinned. "Just smack 'em!"

Race grabbed Crutchie's arm and pulled him out. "Yes, c'mon, so we can sleep."

"Make Jack come, too," Spot added. "Just 'cause."

Jack sighed and followed them down the hall.

Davey looked at Les and shrugged before closing the front door and taking advantage of the fact that they weren't recruited for the killing of the cockroaches by going to back to sleep.

* * *

The five of them entered the room cautiously, as if a cockroach would jump out any second. Race pointed at the bathroom and whispered harshly, "There they are! Go get 'em, you two!"

Spot and Romeo pushed Jack and Crutchie into the tiny bathroom. "Geez, we got it, guys!" Jack exclaimed. With that, he pulled over the shower curtain and peeked inside the bathtub, only to shriek and jump onto the sink.

"Aww, is Jacky-boy scared of a cockroach?" Spot called, laughing.

"Shut up!" Jack yelled, his voice cracking. "Just kill 'em, Crutchie! You'se always been good at killin' bugs!"

Crutchie laughed. "And, you'se always been good at runnin' away from 'em!"

Jack stuck his tounge out at Crutchie, not moving from his spot on the sink.

"Besides, my secret for killin' bugs is that I don't kill 'em," Crutchie continued, setting down his crutch and kneeling down next to the tub.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What? Crutchie, you ain't actually gonna let 'em go, are ya?"

"Well, if I tried to actually kill 'em, we'd be here all night," Crutchie reasoned. "Those little guys never die! Nah, it's much easier ta just snatch 'em up and let 'em go. Is there a jar or somethin' I can use around here?"

Jack looked around him. "Uh, there's a bowl for the soap."

"That should work," Crutchie said, motioning for Jack to give him the bowl. "Now, get me some toilet paper."

Jack, still refusing to get off the sink, crawled closer to the toilet, leaned over and ripped off a square of toilet paper. Then, he tossed both the bowl and paper to Crutchie, who swiftly captured one of the roaches.

"There we go!" Crutchie beamed. "One down!"

With that, he picked up his crutch and brought the bowl out to the window sill, where he set it down and let the bug go. He did this three more times as the other boys watched in both disgust and wonder at how he handled the roaches so easily.

"All done!" Crutchie announced after setting the last one go. "I'd suggest closin' your window so they don't come back inside."

"How do ya do it?" Romeo asked, shaking his head.

Crutchie shrugged. "They can't hurt ya."

"But, they're revolting!" Romeo scoffed.

"Well, how would you feel if some giant creature called you revolting, huh?" Crutchie teased. "Can't be a mighty fine life bein' a cockroach, now can it?"

"Whatever, at least they's gone," Race sighed. "Thanks for helpin' us, especially when Jack chickened out."

"Oh, you chickened out first," Jack retorted half-heartedly. "Let's go."

As Jack and Crutchie headed back to their room, Jack sighed and asked, "Hey Crutchie?"

"Yeah, Jack?" Crutchie replied.

"Never let me forget reservations again."


	4. Big Plans

**Author's Note: Well, hello again! I'm ssorry this took so long, but it's the longest chapter yet, so hopefully, that makes up for it!**

 **Also, for the next couple weeks, I'll be on vacation (I actually wrote a lot of this on the plane, haha!) so, I can't guarantee very frequent updates. I'll do my best, though!  
**

 **I'd like to thank Ostritch On A Rampage for the idea for this chapter! That's all for now! I hope you like it, and if you do, reviews are always appreciated!**

* * *

The next morning, Crutchie, Davey and Les woke up to find Jack's bed empty. "Oh gosh," Davey sighed. "This is the second time we've lost a person on this trip."

"I was the first, right?" Crutchie asked. "Or did I miss something major?"

Davey shook his head, unable to suppress a grin. "Yes, Crutchie, you were the first."

"Well, ya never know with us!" Crutchie chuckled. Then, he glanced at Jack's empty bed again, and face fell into concern again. "Should I call him?"

"Yeah, it's all we can do," Davey sighed again.

With that, Crutchie dialed Jack's number, and sat impatiently, listening to the ringing in his ear. Then, his shoulders slumped as the message played. "Hey, it's Jack! Sorry I can't get to the phone right now. Or maybe I can and you're just annoyin' me. Nah, probably the first thing. Anyway, call me back later! Or, I'll call you. If I remember. Unless you're annoyin' me. Then, I won't. Bye!"

Crutchie rolled his eyes and set his phone down. "Oh, great. What's he done now?"

"There's no way of knowing," Davey replied, distressed. "For all we know, he could be halfway across the country now, having made a highly illegal mess."

Just then, the words "sunny Santa Fe would be nice!" were sung from Crutchie's phone. He immediately grabbed it and asked, "Jack, what have you done now?"

"Ya know, if people could stop greeting me like that, it'd be nice," Jack replied annoyedly. But, his annoyance disappeared as he continued, "Anyway, sorry I didn't pick up! But, I got big plans for us!"

"What are these plans?" Crutchie asked.

"Big ones!" Jack answered eagerly.

"Alright..." Crutchie glanced at Davey nervously. "Jack, how long have you been out?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Jack said, "Oh, I shrugged but you couldn't see that."

"And, how many hours of sleep did you get?" Crutchie questioned.

"Uh..." Jack trailed off. "Dunno. But, it don't matter 'cause I got big plans!"

"Geez, Jack," Crutchie shook his head. "Care to tell me what these plans are?"

"Well, I'm close to the motel right now," Jack said. "At least, I think so. I walked there and back, and I don't really know my way around here, but...yeah, this looks close-ish. Yeah, I should be back soon."

"Well, hurry up, 'cause we'se gotta get breakfast," Crutchie said warily.

"Yup, yup, yup- oh, shoot." Were the last words heard before a loud clattering sound. Crutchie pulled his phone away from his ear as Jack's now-muffled voice continued, "Crap, is it broken?...Is that a crack on the screen, or a piece of hair?...Crutch, you still there?"

"I'm here," Crutchie assured him, raising an eyebrow.

"Alright, well, I gotta go," Jack said. "See ya soon! Big plans!"

With that, the dial tone played. Crutchie glanced at Davey and shrugged.

"What's going on with Jack?" Les asked curiously.

"He's apparently got big plans," Crutchie replied, setting down his phone and walking over to the bathroom. "Though, the last time he had 'big plans' on less than three hours of sleep..." Crutchie trailed off and shuddered. "We don't talk about it."

A few minutes later, Jack burst into the room, holding a huge cardboard box. He peeked over the edge and grinned at his friends. "Huh? Huh? What do ya think, huh?"

"What ish dat?" Crutchie asked, with his toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.

"Come look at it!" Jack beamed proudly.

Crutchie spit out his toothpaste and, followed by Davey and Les, walked over and turned his head to read the side of the box. "Jumbo tent?"

Jack nodded eagerly, his mess of scraggly brown hair bouncing around. "See! Big plans!"

"What are we doing with this tent?" Davey asked.

"We'se gonna go to the moon, Jacobs," Jack replied sarcastically. "What do ya think we're doin' with it? We're campin' tonight!"

"We are?" Davey and Crutchie asked at the same time, both unsure what to make of the situation.

"Yeah!" Jack grinned. "Come on, I'll tell ya all about it at breakfast!"

"What are we doing for breakfast, anyway?" Crutchie questioned.

Jack shrugged. "Denny's?"

"Nah, Spot was banned from all Denny's, remember?" Crutchie answered. When Davey cocked his his head in confusion, Crutchie added with a sigh, "It'd take a while to explain. Long story short, he was marked down as a 'risk with a fork' across the nation's establishments."

"Eh, we'll figure something out," Jack replied. "But, c'mon! I gotta tell everyone about my plans!" He proceeded to bounce out of the room, still holding the box with the tent.

Crutchie shook his head as he watched Jack go."Jumbo tent...dunno what I expected."

* * *

After stopping at a drive-thru and ordering 13 different breakfasts, the group was back on the highway, headed further west on their journey as Jack eagerly explained his "big plans." Shooting his friends a grin through the rearview mirror, he began, "Alright. So, last night, after I murdered a cockroach for Spot-"

"Ha!" Blink grinned, prompting Spot to punch him.

"-, I couldn't fall back asleep afterward," Jack continued, ignoring Blink and Spot. "So, I went down to the lobby and started flippin' through those little tourist pamphlet things they got, ya know? And, I found this place called Gifford Pinchot State Park, and they got a lake where can camp by over there, and I thought, 'hey, that'd be fun!' But, then, I realized that we didn't have any campin' stuff, so I bought a jumbo tent! Now, the park's a bit outta our way up in Lewisburg, but you guys was sayin' you wanted to see stuff, so...What do ya think?"

The people in the car exchanged looks, but they weren't the "Jack-is-an-idiot" looks that he was expecting. Finally, Crutchie smiled. "Ya know, that's actually a really great idea! I gotta say, that sounds like real fun!"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, Crutchie's right. That sounds good!"

"Oh, wow," Jack grinned. "Look's like my genius is finally shinin' through!"

"I dunno if I'd call you a genius, Jacky-boy," Spot responded. "But, I'll admit, that is a good idea."

"Alright, so it's settled then!" Jack announced. "Any objections?" When he was met with silence, Jack's already-smug smile got smugger. "Would ya look at that? One point for Jack Kelly, expert trip planner!"

* * *

"SLUG BUG!"

"No!" Specs squirmed out of Smalls' reach, but still failed to miss her punch. "Why is it always me?"

"'Cause, you never spot the bugs on time," Smalls grinned. "The other guys actually have a chance at getting me back, but you? No way."

"Is that a challenge?" Specs asked, folding his arms.

"If you want it to be," Smalls smirked.

"I think it is." Specs determined.

Smalls spit on her hand and held it out to him. "Shake on it, then."

Specs did the same, not breaking eye contact with her. "You're on."

Both Specs and Smalls whipped around suddenly, staring intently out the window. After a moment, Specs dared to move his stare long enough to tap Jack on the shoulder. "Uhh, Jack, what did you say that park was called?"

"Gifford Pinchot State Park," Jack replied. "Why?"

Specs replied, "Because, we just passed i-"

"SLUG BUG!" Smalls cut in, slugging Specs. When she was met with a glare, she shrugged and said, "You always gotta be prepared, Specs. Always."

* * *

Eventually, they made it into the park and over to the lake. Jack told the rest to jump in while he set up the tent, which didn't appear to be going so well.

"Er, Jack," Mush walked over to him, biting his lip uncertainly. "You need some help there?"

Jack looked up from the stakes he was holding and replied, "Nah, I got this."

"Really?" Mush questioned. "Because, just a few seconds ago, you seemed to be tangled up in the tent."

"I got out, though," Jack retorted annoyedly. "Go have fun, Mush, I can handle a little tent."

"Oh, tent?" Les bounced over then, shaking his sopping wet brown hair. "I can help!"

Jack sighed. "No, Les, I don't need your-hey, give those back!"

Les had snatched the stakes from his hands and began to set up the tent smoothly. "I do Boy Scouts," He announced proudly. "I've done this loads of times!"

Jack shook his head. "I can't believe this. A ten year old is beating me at setting up a tent."

"Don't take it personally, Jack," Les replied, nailing in a stake. "Davey did Boy Scouts, too, and he stunk at it!"

"Thanks?" Jack replied questioningly.

Suddenly, there was a clap of thunder from above. Jack, Les,and Mush all looked up at the sky, then at each other. "Yeesh," Mush shuddered. "That was loud."

Jack looked up again, biting his lip. "Uh, it coulda been a fluke. That happens sometimes, right?"

Thunder clapped again, and the wind began to pick up.

Mush gave Jack a doubtful look and said, "This don't feel like a fluke, Jack."

Jack frowned. "Oh, c'mon, you're supposed to be the optimistic one! Besides, it ain't even rainin'."

Just then, Crutchie limped over. Before he could say anything, Jack called, "Hey, Crutchie, what's your leg say? Gonna rain?"

"That's just what I was comin' to tell ya," Crutchie replied, sounding nervous. "I don't need leg telepathy to tell that there's a storm on its way."

"Who says there's a storm?" Jack scoffed loudly over another thunder clap. "It could just be a sprinkling."

"There usually isn't thunder when it sprinkles," Les chimed in.

"Oh, shut up, you're, like, ten," Jack shot back.

Les frowned and muttered, "A ten year old who can build a tent better than you."

Mush pulled out his phone and said, "Alright, why don't I look up the weather report?" As he unlocked it, a loud alarm immediately went off. Raising his voice over the alarm, he read, "Um _, flash flood warning in your area._ "

"Flood warning?" Jack echoed. "You're joking."

"Jack, didn't ya think to check the weather report before deciding we were camping?" Crutchie questioned.

"Crutchie, don't talk to me like I'm not the most irresponsible person you know," Jack replied.

Crutchie shrugged. "Race is a close second, to be honest. But, this does tow the line."

Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, let's try and get outta here before the storm really picks up."

As if on cue, the first drops of rain began to fall, followed by yet another clap of thunder and a strike of lightening.

The four boys exchanged worried looks. Les bit his lip and said, "Run like the wind, Bullseye."

* * *

One hour later found the group of thirteen, soaking wet, sitting in Jack's beat-up van parked in a patch of trees after the roads quickly flooded and showed them that they weren't going anywhere.

"' _Oh, let's go camping, it'll be fun!'_ " Katherine said in a low, mocking voice.

"Oh, well, who's the one who agreed?" Jack retorted, shivering.

"' _What a great idea, Jack!'_ " Race chimed in with a falsetto voice. _"'My boyfriend has such great ideas!'_ "

Romeo lowered his voice and replied, " _You have even better ideas, Ace!'_ "

As Race and Romeo proceeded to make kissy noises, Katherine rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Oh, grow up."

Thunder sounded from outside, making the van rattle.

"This junk mobile of yours is gonna get us killed," Blink commented.

"Hey, this van was made back in '89, and she's still runnin' smooth," Jack said smugly.

"I don't know what you call smooth," Specs muttered. "But this ain't it."

"Okay, this arguin' is doin' us no good!" Crutchie sighed. "We might as well do somethin' to pass the time."

"Like what?" Davey asked.

Crutchie shrugged. "Truth or dare?"

"Crutchie, we're trapped in a van," Davey deadpanned.

"Then...just the truth part?" Crutchie suggested weakly.

"Pfft, that sounds fun," Spot muttered sarcastically.

"Well, have you got anythin' better to do?" Crutchie asked.

"I got a truth for you," Smalls said. "Jack is an idiot."

Jack, whose head had been resting on the back of his seat, bolted upright and exclaimed, "It was five a.m., I got no sleep, and you'se all agreed!"

Crutchie shushed them and said, "Guys, that's not how it works. No personal attacks. Now, let's go around and, uh, each say one thing we ain't never told each other. I'll start." He thought for a moment before saying, "I bombed my math final last year because I binge-watched the first season of _Doctor Who_ the night before. I blame Davey."

"Hey, I just said you should watch it," Davey replied. "Not the night before finals."

"Anyway, it's Jack's turn," Crutchie continued. He turned to Jack, whose head had returned to its place on the back of the seat. Crutchie tapped him and said, "Jack."

Jack bolted upright again and announced, "I wasn't sleepin'! What are we doin'?"

"Truth or dare, without the dare," Crutchie answered.

"Half of us are almost legal adults, and we're playin' truth or dare?" Jack questioned.

"It was my idea, and I just turned fifteen, so hush, Mr. Almost-Adult," Crutchie retorted. "Now, tell us somethin' you never told us before."

"That ain't how truth or dare works though," Jack argued. "You'se gotta ask me a question, and I'se gotta answer it honestly."

"Well, we already took out the 'dare' part, so it ain't like we're playin' traditionally," Crutchie pointed out.

Jack groaned. "Ugh, fine. Uh...you'se already know about the country music...um...I dunno! Just ask me a question, Crutchie, will ya?"

"If you insist," Crutchie rolled his eyes. He thought for a moment before his eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. He slowly smirked and asked, "Jack, who was your first crush?"

Jack scoffed. "What are we, a bunch of twelve year-old girls? This is ridiculous."

"You'se gotta answer honestly," Crutchie grinned. "And, I know the answer."

"Well, if you know the answer, what's the point in tellin' ya?" Jack asked, a blush slowly making its way onto his face.

Crutchie motioned towards the rest of the people in the air. "They don't."

Jack sighed and looked down. "Fine. It was Sarah."

Sarah sat up a little straighter. "What?"

"That's it!" Jack held up his hands. "I'm done! Movin' on."

"When you two were in ninth grade, I remember Jack would come home and tell me all about Davey's pretty sister," Crutchie beamed. "And, he'd draw you all the time, and-"

"Oh, shut up," Jack leaned over and shoved Crutchie half-heartedly.

Sarah chuckled. "There's no need to be embarrassed, Jack. It was kind of obvious."

"Yeah, especially when you'd come over to my house when you knew I wouldn't be home," Davey added. "'Is Davey here? No? Hmm, I guess I'll just have to wait for him, then. With Sarah. Oh well.'"

Jack cringed. "Okay, okay, I wasn't the best with crushes in ninth grade! Moving on!"

Katherine grinned. "You didn't get much better. I still remember all the corny pick-up lines you used on me."

"Ace, no," Jack winced.

Katherine gleefully ignored him. "I remember back in out junior year, he came up to me one day and offered to buy me a copy of the school paper, not knowing that I worked for it. I told him it wasn't out yet, to which he replied,"

All in unison, Katherine, Davey, and Crutchie finished, " _'I'd be delighted to deliver it to you personally, madam!'_ "

As the rest of the car erupted into laughter, Jack crossed his arms and said, "Alright, what about you, Ace? What's your truth, huh?"

Katherine paused for a moment, looking more like she was trying to figure out how to word what she was going to say instead of thinking of what to say. Finally, she sighed and said, "You know the superintendent of schools?"

"You mean, the one who tried to cut all the arts programs, and who tried to re-route the buses so that they didn't come to our neighborhood?" Romeo asked. "We practically led a strike against that guy. I think we know him."

Katherine sucked in a deep breath and braced herself before saying, "That's my dad."

The car practically exploded into shouts of "what?!" and "why didn't you tell us?" and even the occasional "traitor!" as Katherine tried to explain herself.

Finally, Jack shushed them. "Let her talk. I need to know what she's got to say." He turned to her, looking hurt. "How didn't we know, Kath? How didn't I know?"

Katherine sighed. "I-I wanted to tell you. Really, I did. But, I was just...alright, I was scared. When you've got a father like mine, people automatically assume that you're just like him, but I'm not. I mean, a rich, stuffy, know-it-all, condescending businessman? That's the last thing I ever want to be."

"Well, we know that," Race said.

"Yeah, you're better than that," Davey chimed in. "Anyone can see that."

Katherine looked at the rest of them and smiled, before letting her eyes fall on Jack and nervously asking, "So, you're not mad?"

Jack shook his head. "Nah, no way. But, I am a bit nervous for the 'meet-the-family' dinner now that I know your dad hates me."

"You're not really scared of my father," Katherine smirked.

"No, but I'm pretty scared of you," Jack replied with a grin.

Katherine leaned forward and shoved him playfully. "Oh, shut up. Who's next? Race?"

A guilty grin made its way onto Race's face. "You guys promise you won't be mad?"

"Uh oh," Spot grimaced. "I'll soak you if you dropped my toothbrush in the toilet again."

"Nah," Race replied. "But, I did know that it was gonna rain today."

The car exploded for a second time that evening. "Why didn't ya say somethin'?!" Jack groaned.

"It ain't my responsibility!" Race retorted. "Besides, I didn't know it would flood."

"Well, you're the adult here!" Jack exclaimed. "You shoulda been responsible!"

"Jack, it don't matter how old I am," Race said. "I'll never be responsible. Now, who's up? Romeo?"

Romeo looked up. He was quiet for a moment before sighing."You guys want a truth? I...I'm kinda...scared for this trip to end."

Jack cocked his head. "Really? 'Cause, at the rate it's been goin', I thought it'd be the opposite."

Romeo chuckled half-heartedly before continuing,"Well, it's just...like ya said earlier, Jack, half of you'se are almost adults. Soon, you'se gonna be goin' off to college. And, I mean, aside from Les, I'm the youngest, and I-I dunno, I just don't wanna be left behind."

"What makes ya think we'd do that?" Race asked.

"Well, that's all that's ever happened before," Romeo admitted meekly. "I mean, the closest thing to a-a permanent home I've had is the group home with you guys, and I just don't want to lose that. But, you're all growin' up faster than me and I know Jack wants to go to Santa Fe and...I dunno. I just don't wanna be alone again."

"Aw, Rome," Jack sighed. "Look, even when we do go to college and even if I do move to Santa Fe one day, we'se never gonna leave ya. Don't ya know that we'se a family?"

Romeo looked up from where he'd been intently staring at his feet. "Ya mean that?"

"Of course," Jack assured him. "You're stuck with us, kid, all of us."

Romeo grinned. "Good."


End file.
